The fundamental characteristics of a ship’s design, and how they affect its behaviour at sea are of crucial importance to many people involved in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of all marine vessels. Naval architects and those working in ship design need to understand these principles in depth. Marine engineers must likewise recognise the degree to which their activities are influenced and bounded by these principles. Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the engineering design process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and operation of marine vessels and structures. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a marine vehicle. Preliminary design of the vessel, its detailed design, construction, trials, operation and maintenance, launching and dry-docking are the main activities involved. Knowledge of the fundamentals of naval architecture is essential not only for newcomers to the field but also the wealth of non-naval architects working in the marine area, including marine engineers, marine surveyors and ship crews. The book provides the most well-known and trusted introduction to the topic, offering a clear and concise take on the basics of this broad field. The book is ideal both for those approaching the subject for the first time and those looking to update or refresh their knowledge on areas outside of their direct expertise.